Garhwali Folk Literature: 3

Collection of Garhwali Folk Stories
Bhishma Kukreti

The credit goes to European learned persons for initiating the collection and protection of folk literature. Later on, the learned persons of each area started to collect, edit and publish the folk literature of their own areas.
The following is brief of collection, writing commentary on Garhwali Folk Stories:
Himalayan Folk Lore: Okely and Tara Dutt started for publishing the Garhwali Folk Stories. Around 1930, they published a book, “ Himalayan Folk Lore” Dr Shiv Prasad Dabral in Uttarakhand ka Itihas and Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna in Langadi Bakari provided the reference of this starting initiation for collecting and publishing Garhwali folk literature.
Pundit Hari Ram Dhashmana and Pt. Keshava nand Naithani: Though Dhashmana and Naithani did not publish any collection of Garhwali folk stories but they were first to write history of Garhwal based on folk stories of Garhwal. On the basis of Garhwali folk stories, they tried to prove that Garhwal is the area where Vedas were created and Vedic culture was started from Garhwal region. Dhashmana and Naithani provided the examples of following folk stories:
1-Indra Dhanus
2- Sat Mataun kaa ek Putra
3-Fyunli
Folk Stories in Historical Books: Pundit Harikrishna Raturi in book ‘Garhwal ka itihas’, Bhakta darshan in ‘Garhwal ki Divangat Bibhutiyan’ and Dr Shiv Prasad Dabral in all eight volumes of Uttarakhand ka Itihas presented the examples of many folk stories.
Dr Govind Chatak: Govind Chatak published a book ‘Garhwal ki lok Kathayen’ in 1970 . now, Garhwal Jagar Dehradun has been republishing those stories.
Hari Dub by Dr Hari Dutt Bhatt ‘Shailesh’ : Hari Dutt Bhatt collected and published more than ten stories related to Garhwali lore in Hari Dub.
Shri Dant Nipodu: Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna writes in Gad myateki Ganga and Langadi Bakri that Dant Nipodu published a few humorous Garhwali folk stories in ‘Raibar’ (edited by Shakunt Joshi) before 1960.
Langadi Bakari by Abodh bandhu Bahuguna: Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna collected and published 19 folk stories in Langadi Bakari . Thee book was published by premium Publishing House Varansi in 1961:
1-Langadi Bakri
2-Sunna Didi
3-Lindarya Chhora
4-Sweeli Gham
5-Ladki Paksi ban gayee
6-Apni Man
7-Patal
8-Him Kahan se Aya
9-Sarp Dev Raja
10-Jhutha Sach
11-Uski Khoj
12-Dhafdi
13-Hari Hindwan
14-Dur ka Deepak
15-Ghugtee Basauti
16-Panchayat Nama
17-Patta aur dhela
18-Jagar
19-Kaful Pako
Bahuguna also provided in details the classification of Garhwali folk stories.
Gad Matyeki Ganga: Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna published six stories in Gad Matyeki Ganga (1975) and all were already published in Langadi Bakari
Dant Kathayen by Chakradhar Bahuguna and Veena Pani Joshi: Modrn Prakashan Dehradun published eight stories of Chakradhar Bahuguna and Veena pani Joshi in 1981. Later on Garhwali Jagar Dehradun republished all eight stories.
Garhwali Lok Kathayen by Bhishma Kukreti: Aleksandra Prakashan published a book’Garhwali Lok Kathayen by Bhishma Kukreti in 1984. There are twenty four stories in this collection:
1-Choli
2-pathya Chinkhu
3-Anubhav ki Mahatta
4-Bhratri Prem
5-Ganv ka Sayana
6-Chhyuntee
7-Gapodiyon ki Gapp
8-Barat tinka aur Keeda
9-Gay ki Punchh aur Bhut
10-Bhim aur Rakhsash
11-Kaful Pako
12-Ulti Ahilya
13-Haldi
14-Chhipkali ka Ghar
15-Bogus Vidya
16-Champa ka ped
17-Jaise ko Taisa
18-Grahan
19-Nath Ban gaye
20-Siyar va reechh
21-Gyana -Binjara
22-Meri Ganga
23-Ag aur Bhians palak
24-Bhemata aur Ped
Community Stories by Bhishma Kukreti: Bhishma Kukreti published two folk stories of Malla Dhangu or related to Kukreti families in
http://younguttaranchal.com/community/index.php?topic=3260.new#new
1- Road between Jaspur-Gweel is still troublesome
2-Dallya are Kukreti

Salan Batin Lok Katha (Under publication) by Bhishma Kukreti: Apart from collection of 22 stories, Bhishma Kukreti throw lights on some critical points such as
1- Please don’t say Garhwali is daughter of Hindi (Garhwali ko Hindi se nijat Dilao)
2-Brahman ad by collectors of Garhwali Folk Stories as these scholars avoided collection of Dalit kathyen
3-He analyzed Garhwali folk stories from management angle
There are following stories in Salan batin Lok Ktaha:
1-Vani Vilash Puran
2-Nrankarai Tapasya
3-Godhan
4-Beej Ni Khan
5-Kingwado
6-jantar mantar ki Seekh
7-Kheer ki Thali
8-Ghweedau chanth Pyaro
9-Chhwaya band kilai hwen
10-Putha dekhik nakhush
11-Sunar
12 -Atau Bald
13-Bhut Buba
14-Bhikharan
15-Apadi apdi Chalaki
16-Myar Bughthya
17-Ramtel
18-Dwee baman halya
19-rikk ko ek I Batu
20-Jaspur man Devik mandir kilai nee cha
21-Duryodhan ko janam pathar kilai?
22-Ogal ki Katha
Family trees: There are publications of family trees as Bahuguna Banasvali, Kanthola Bansavali or Kukretis of Gweel-Jaspur, Nautiyal’s family tree wherein there are few folk stories published by the editors.
Manoj prakashan Delhi : manoj Prakashan also published three Garhwali stories with other stories
Chitth Patri: Chitthi Patri published a special issue on Garhwali Folk stories ( October-December 2007). There are following interesting chapters besides eight folk stories of Garhwal region:
1- Garhwali lok Sahitya aur waiko Adhyan by Bhagwati Prasad nautiyal
2-Garhwali lok Katahun par ek najar (a classification and characteristics of Garhwali folk stories) by Nand Kishor Dhaundiyal
3- Antarrashtriya Lok Katha Vargeekaran (Classification of international folk Stories) by Himanshu Sharma
4- Garhwali lok Kataun ko Sankalan (Collection of Garhwali folk stories) by Rohit Gangasalani
5-Garhwali lok kataon ka vargeekaran (Classification of Garhwali folk Stories)
6-Lok Kataun ka sarbhaumik tatwa gun aur Garhwali lok kathayen (elements of Univarsal characteristics of folk Stories and Garhwali Folk Stories ) by uma Sharma
7-Garhwali Lok Kathaun man prabandh Shastra ki suchna ( Management teaching in Garhwali Folk Stories) by Bhishma Kukreti
8-Janvarun Samadhi katha Mahbahrat se pwan lag ( Mahbharat is the initiator of animals in folk stories and not Panch Tantra ) by Bhishma Kukreti
9-lok Kathaon ka samjik Vinyash par prabhav ( Effect of folk stories on social structure) by Rakesh Gairola
10-Garhwali lok Katha : Jaunpur ka parpexya man ( Garhwali Folk Stories in context of Jaunpur ) by Surendra pundir
The following stories are there in this edition:
1-Kafal pako min ni Chakho
2-Fyunli
3-mahasu ar Huna hat
4-beera baini ar Paanch Bhaiya
5-Madhu Ghuma Bhad
6-Fur Phatai meriKundali Kathain
7-Suni garud
8-Gaithai dali
Apart from the above time to time regional papers have been publishing Garhwali folk stories
There is satisfactory works on Garhwali Folk stories .

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, Mumbai, India, 2009